Kia ora whanau,
Welcome (back) to the Te Whanau Koru blog for 2017! The children have settled back into school, and hub routines, with skilful ease. We're absolutely loving the happy smiling faces each and every morning, as they children arrive ready for a new day's learning.
The content of our blog posts will vary from time to time, however you will generally find some of the following:
- samples of the children's work
- photos celebrating student learning
- handy hints for helping your child at home with their reading, writing and Maths
- links to helpful websites
- what's been happening in the classrooms
- what will be happening in the classrooms
- requests for help and resources.
Discovery Stations:
You will all by now be familiar with our Discovery Stations! Research is telling us that learning through play is a powerful vehicle indeed, and, as teachers, we are observing, every day, literacy, mathematical and social learning occurring at the Discovery Stations on offer.
'Play is a powerful vehicle for learning, thinking, generating ideas and communicating. Play thus creates potential spaces in which a child always behaves beyond his/her average age, above his/her daily behaviour; in play it is as though he were a head taller than him/herself.'
Vygotsky
We have found that play activities are a wonderful way to develop the Key Competencies:
- Thinking
- Relating to others
- Using language, symbols and texts
- Managing self
- Participating and contributing
Play embraces all of the Key Competencies, especially self-management. It's a very natural way to promote self-management without making the activity seem contrived. An added bonus to starting each day with Discovery Stations, is that those children who might struggle to say goodbye in the morning, tend to settle much more easily when there are play activities on offer.
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| Day 1! |
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| Reading with Big Bear in the washing basket |
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| What a complex plan - an architect in the making?! |
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| Reading, in a sea of Mobilo! |
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Ta-dah!!
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Collaboration:
After reading Mrs Wishy Washy, Hub 10 and 11 children formed groups to build a fence that would be high and strong enough to stop the farm animals from getting into the mud. Check out the Writers' Wall in Hub 10/11 to read the children's published writing and see more photos of the fences that were created.
Me Bags:
Many thanks for the wonderful treasures that have been sent in, supporting our children in their learning relating to our integrated topic, 'Identity'. If your child is yet to bring their 'Me Bag' in to class, it's not too late!
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| Some of us love drawing... |
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| ...others play rugby. |
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| Some learn ballet... |
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| ...others love to write. |
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| ...and some of us identify closely with another country. |
Reading:
Here is a link to the wonderful website called
Parent Literacy Partners, which contains great strategies for you, as parents, to use when your child gets stuck on a word when reading. An example is:
'Learning how to prompt your child to help them become more independent problem solvers when reading.'
If there is something particular you want to find out about, put key words into the search box, for example, 'letter reversals' or 'learning letters and sounds'.
Reminders and Notices:
- Please ensure that your child remembers to pack his/her reading folder every day
- Library folders need to be returned to school on or before library day (which varies from class to class)
- It's a good idea to make sure your child takes his or her drink bottle home after school each day, for a 'freshen up'
- We will again be acknowledging the anniversary of the Feb 22nd Earthquake this year, by creating a chalk 'River of Flowers' on the footpath outside school on Sandwich Road on Wednesday.
Have a lovely week everyone.
Nga mihi nui.
